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An Overwhelming 42% of Canadians See Electric Vehicles as a Good Alternative to Regular Cars: WWF

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Nov. 4, 2014) - Forty-two percent of Canadians believe electric vehicles (EVs) are, or will be shortly, a viable and practical alternative to gas-powered cars, according to WWF-Canada's newly released EV National Status Update 2014 report. The number of Canadians who have tried out and driven an EV has also doubled since 2012.

The report also found a seventy-nine percent growth in EV sales in Canada over the past year. As transportation accounts for nearly 30 per cent of Canada's total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, EVs play an important role in helping Canada meet its short and long term climate goals.

The report, the second status update from WWF and written in partnership with Plug'n Drive, highlights the uptake of EVs in leading provinces and compares Canada's results with global EV leaders such as California and Norway. The analysis demonstrates that more national, provincial and municipal government programs are needed to make further progress in the electrification of personal transportation.

To showcase how EVs can play a part in building a sustainable future for Canadian cities, WWF launched a new web series "First Dates with David Miller" along with the report findings. The short, comedic videos follow TV personality Jessi Cruickshank, comedian Mark McKinney and Executive Chef Susur Lee as they each take a spin in an EV with WWF's President and CEO, David Miller.

WWF's Top 3 EV Recommendations for Canada:

- Incentive programs work: B.C., Ontario and Quebec should maintain their strong EV purchase incentives and other provinces should create new ones.

- Charging infrastructure is needed: Provincial governments, utilities and municipalities need to update codes and bylaws to maintain or introduce programs to support home, workplace and condominium charging.

- Increase EV fleets: Municipalities and businesses should increase the use of EVs in their fleets and provide opportunities for their employees to use them.

Quotes

"There are now 8,500 EV owners in Canada and they're all ambassadors who can help others better understand this technology. EV organizations like Plug'n Drive are also trying to raise awareness; we find that the easiest way to do that is by getting folks to test drive the car. If you've got an EV, take your friends or neighbours for a spin!"

- Cara Clairman, President and CEO, Plug'n Drive

"Climate change is greatly threatening our species, habitats and communities. We need to look at a variety of innovative solutions and that includes electric vehicles. Cities are investing in smart technologies like EVs and infrastructure to support them and I applaud the progress that we're making across the provinces. But municipalities can do more such as offer preferential parking for EVs and install charging stations in their parking lots."